Oukwanyama authority has court victory The Oukwanyama Traditional Authority has reached a settlement agreement with dissidents who allocated villages to themselves and declared themselves headmen.Mukwata Mainga, lawyer for Thomas Haihambo and 20 other respondents confirmed the settlement.
Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula postponed the matter to 31 June to afford the respondents the opportunity to attach their signatures to the settlement agreement.
In terms of the agreement, the respondents, Haihambo and eight others Ndadi Marti, Wilbard Nambahu, Ndemudina Ndove, Ndapwa Hamukwaya, Moses Ndilenge, George Hikumwa and Festus Wangushu, who declared themselves as headmen and the 13 remaining respondents, in terms of the agreement, shall not unlawfully allocate villages in the communal area under the jurisdiction of the authority.
The respondents further agreed not to instigate public members under the Oukwanyama authority to disobey or defy lawful directions and orders.
They agreed not to issue any verbal, written or any form of notice, communication or any process which otherwise is the sole responsibility and prerogative of the authority as the only lawfully recognised traditional authority.
It was further agreed that the respondents will cancel all allocations of customary land rights by any one of them and declare such allocations as null and void and of no legal effect.
The geographic area of the traditional authority is divided into districts which districts are constituted of villages.
Traditional councillors are appointed by the traditional authority while junior traditional councillors are appointed by the senior traditional councillors.
Around April 2013 the authority decided to subdivide some of the districts for better coordination and sound management, as some districts had many villages and it became burdensome and hard to manage.
Ohakafiya district had 78 villages and was subdivided while Ohaingu district had 174 villages and was subdivided.
The subdivision was not fully welcomed by certain members of the community. It is allegedly this resentment that manifested in factionalism and disobedience.
The 20 respondents were allegedly established to destabilise the Oukwanyama traditional area in its leadership. After this settlement agreement this seemingly is something of the past.
FRED GOEIEMAN